A reminder of a not so lonely past
by Angel and Teddy Bear
Summary: When a case reminds Tony of a old friend he is not sure how to handle it.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: This is an attempt to write fanfiction however I cannot promise that it will be any good. Please read and let me know where improvements can be made but only constructive criticism please! The characters do not belong to me I am simply borrowing them. All rights are exclusive to CBS and Donald Bellasario. _

**A** **Reminder of the not so Lonely Past **

This week has been one of the worst ever with cases that never see, to end and just when it seems like there will be light at the end of the tunnel here comes yet another case that is more terrible that the last. I suppose the straw that broke the camels back so to speak would have to be when we caught the case of the five year old girl that was beaten, raped and murdered. It was so hard not to just run away screaming even for me and I have seen just about everything that there is to see. Being a LEO one sees so much that a person begins to wonder if there is anything decent about humanity.

Of course Gibbs is furious because it bring back emotions that although have always been hidden have never really healed. This is going to be another long week so much for trying to relax and just forget everything because I don't think I will ever be able to forget this picture as long as I live. I never realized that there would ever be a time when I would despise a camera and film simply because of the necessary purpose that it serves. As I am photographing the scene I notice a locket that I thought I would never see again. It is in the shape of a teddy bear and it has angel wings on it with a garnet in the center of it. Maybe it was her birthstone so she was born in January something to look into if only we knew who this poor little girl is.

It has been three days and there are no missing persons reports that match our victim and there are no traces of DNA anywhere hopefully the killer made a mistake somewhere because there is no way in hell that I want to have to let this case go cold. I think it would be my destruction because there is only so many times that a case can go cold and not affect me. I am so quiet that my teammates are unsure of how to handle it. They seem to think that I cannot feel and that things simply pass me by because I always laugh and joke but for the first time in a long time I find that I just cannot keep up the normal façade that I use. It is a mask that has been carefully constructed over time in order to keep me safe because will anyone really want to know the real me. The man who goes home and cries every night because of things in his past that he cannot dare share because people will think that he is crazy. My soul is in chaos at the memories but how do I force them into the box that they belong in.

We have finally identified our little girl her name is Selena Dawn Brady and her parents were away on a business trip to Italy. Her uncle was supposed to be looking after her but he is nowhere to be found. The coldness from the parents reminds me of all the times my father had better things to do than be with me. If I tried to tell him that I loved him all I would get was indifference for my trouble so I simply quit saying the words and locked them away promising myself that no one would ever hear them unless they were well earned. The parents give us nothing that will help us accept the name of the uncle and as it turns out he is a registered sex offender. What kind of parents could do such a thing to an innocent little girl my mind seems to be screaming? I run from the conference room because I simply cannot handle anymore and Gibbs of course looks in my direction and I do not even bother to answer him. He can yell at me later but right now I just need to hide away for a while. I cannot afford to let anyone see how much this affects me because I keep thinking of my young friend that was eleven when her uncle hurt her. At least her mother pretended to care enough to cut off contact with the brother but her scars never healed.

I can remember her never really being able to trust me even though I was her best friend. She always tried to be so strong because it was not acceptable to be anything else. She would never look at me in my eyes like she was so afraid that I would hurt her even though we had known each other of our lives. Angelica was a beautiful girl even though she was a little on the bigger side. She had eyes that were like sapphires and a heart of gold that became so cold and distant after her uncle hurt her. I have not heard from her in years but maybe I should try to find her to see what she is up to these days. Maybe she found her prince charming like she has always deserved. I truly hope so.

Dinozzo, "What made you leave so fast from the conference room?" Gibbs asked. "Boss, it is a long story but this case reminds me of a girl that I knew growing up." I tell him. "Talk to me about her because she obviously meant something to you." He said. I think about it for the longest time and I notice that he is just sitting there waiting for me to start talking. The question is do I take that step to let someone close to me. I mean this is Angelica's story and I am not sure that I should trust anyone with it. Finally I decide that she would not mind and I start to tell my current close friend about my childhood best friend.

When I was younger I met this girl that lived across the street from us. Her name was Angelica and she was very shy. We got to know each other over the years and we would tell each other everything her mother was verbally abusive and my father just ignored me so everything was crazy but we got along with each other fine. She was a year younger than me and I always wanted to look after her like she was my little sister. So one day this guy comes to visit her and her family and she tells me later that it was her Uncle Robert. He is her mom's only brother and they have been out of touch for a few years. Plans are made for her and her sister to spend the summer with him in North Carolina. They go and when Angelica comes back I immediately notice the change. She does not hug me like she always did whenever we see each other. I cannot get her to look me in the eye either. It worries me so I ask her to talk to me. It takes a while but she does tell me but the sad thing is that her mother will not believe her. It made me so angry and so I tell Angelica that I will help her in any way possible. When we went to school the next day I went to the guidance counselor's office and told them about my friend and what had happened. Where is your friend maybe we can help her? The counselor says. She will not come willingly because she is too afraid and ashamed. She thinks that no one but me will believe her.

A few days later a social worker goes to Angelica's house and they get her mother to listen. Angelica is taken to a doctor and it is discovered that she was touched but that her virginity was left intact. It does not make the whole thing any less humiliating for her. She has to tape her statement with the social workers but after that it is like it all goes away. She never found out until later that her mother was still talking to him and that he was in prison for bank robbery. It is only then that she realizes that the only thing he was charged with was indecency with a minor. Big deal I remember Angelica saying considering all that he took from me it is such a small price to pay for him. "Tony, why is it that men think that they can do whatever they want to a girl and never have to pay the price for it?" She asked me and then Boss I did not have an answer for her but I will never forget the pain in those beautiful eyes of hers. The way Selena's parents did not seem to care about what happened to her made me want to kick something just like when Angelica's uncle basically got off easy for what he did to her. "Where is Angelica now, Tony have you heard from her lately?" Gibbs asked. "I have no idea where she is now but I would love to find out just to see what ever happened to her. We got separated when I got sent off to boarding school. "Tony replied. Well if you ever find her let me know so I can meet her said Gibbs. I will and thanks Boss for not yelling at me said Tony.

Looking back I realize that the reason I was never lonely as a child is because of Angelica. I have to find her so that I can thank her for always being there if nothing else. What happened to her made me want to become a cop so that I could look after all of the innocent people in the world like her. I wonder if she will even remember me after all of these years. Only time will tell.

Well Tony, "Where do you plan to go from here?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know Boss, where do you think that I should start, I mean I would not even know where to start since it has been so long. "

"Remember Tony, the case has to come first but, if you really want to find Angelica then maybe in your spare time you could recruit Abby and McGee to help trace where Angelica is now."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Early the next morning Tony arrived at work extremely early to try and get a head start on everyone else. He started to research the background of the parents and the uncle looking for anything that would explain the murder of the little girl. It seemed so pointless and the more time he spends at his desk the more frustrated he becomes until he notices while doing a background check that the uncle and father were both former marines.

Gibbs and the rest team arrive to find Tony hard at work and tease him about it because it was so unusual.

"What are you doing here so early Tony? Did your hot date leave early or just dump you?" McGee teased.

" No this case bothers me so much that I came in early to see if I could find any lead that might bring justice for this innocent girl. There are times when I find that a case is more important than having a date. I find it sad that you think I could be so superficial. Maybe you would be so kind as to research the military records of the father and uncle for me since that is your area of expertise. I will be busy checking the mother's background in the meantime." Tony replied stiffly.

"I didn't realize that this case was so personal for you, I will be glad to help," McGee says sheepishly.

"How can I help Tony?" Ziva asked.

Tony answers, "I don't know right now Ziva but I will get back to you."

Gibbs with a grin on his face says, "Tony, you might get Abs to help McGee with the research. I am going down to talk to Ducky to see if he has found anything that will give us more information."

After several hours McGee turned to Tony and said, "I have found something strange. The uncle was given a dishonorable discharge for an incident that occurred at Camp Lejeune while he was an instructor. The incident involved the rape of a young girl. What I find strange is that he had a perfect record until this incident. What was even stranger was that the father of the child in our present case was a recruit at the time going through boot camp."

Tony asks, "Why do you find that to be strange McGeek?"

"Well it appears as if the recruit was in constant trouble while the instructor had a perfect record until this incident which makes absolutely no sense. There has to be an explanation somewhere that can shed more light on why this is the case." McGee answered.

"You're right probie that does pose some very important questions. Do some more digging and see what you can find out. In the meantime I am going to go and talk to Abby."

As he walks away Tony says to Ziva," Why don't you do more research on the mother to see if there is anything that sticks out from a female perspective."

Arriving in the lab, Tony brings Abby up to date on the case and asks if there is anything that she can think of to help in the case.

Abby asks, "Has Ducky found anything that I can use in order to maybe pull a DNA sample from our victim?"

"I don't know because Gibbs left to find out but had to go to MTAC to update Director Vance on the status of our case. It seems that because the parents have money that SecNav has an interest."

"I'll check with Ducky and let you know."

"Abby, I was wondering if you could help me find someone. Her maiden name was Angelica Bowman but it could have changed I am not really sure. She was my only childhood friend and I just wonder what happened to her."

"Sure if I can find the time I will look and get back to you."

"It's personal and I would like to keep it private. Most people tend to ask too many questions and I really do not want to have to answer them."

"I will try my best but I am not making any promises Tony."

"Thank you Abs. I really appreciate this."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Tony was awakened from a sound sleep by the jarring ring of the telephone. He rolled to a sitting position on the side of his bed and grabbed the phone from the nightstand, clunking himself just above his right eye in his haste to answer the phone. "Dinozzo," he shouted.

"Squad room, ASAP" came from Gibbs's voice on the phone.

"Gotcha Boss."

Dinozzo rushes around the house trying to get dressed as fast as possible wondering what the hell could have happened now for Gibbs to be calling him at 3:10 in the morning. God only knows he thought because with Gibbs it is almost impossible to for one to know or even begin to attempt to figure it out.

Since he lived further away from the Navy Yard he was the last to arrive. As he entered the squad room Gibbs said, "Saddle up, we have a dead body at Annapolis."

"Do we know anything about the body that was found Boss?" Dinozzo asked.

"You know as much as I do Dinozzo." Gibbs answered. "I'll drive," looking at Ziva.

When the team reaches Annapolis the scene is a frozen meat locker with a body hanging from a meat hook inside of a meat bag. What on earth could this person have done to cause such a terrible demise? I mean I know that I have pissed off quite a few people in my time but I hope that no one would do something to me that is this horrific, Tony thought to himself. I wonder what everyone else is thinking because this has to be just as shocking for them as it is for me and I have seen it all or so I thought. I guess one can never truly know what one person would do another if they are driven just the right way.

Gibbs says, "I wonder what is taking Ducky so long to get here since he left ten minutes before we did." "Ok team, process the scene. Dinozzo photos, McGee bag and tag and Ziva, interview the butchers since they are ones that found the body."

About this time Ducky arrives and says, "Sorry I'm late but it seems that Mr. Palmer cannot follow simple road signs for the appropriate exit and got us lost again." "Now my poor man let us see what happened to you." He said to the body.

Tony interrupts and says, "Boss, Doesn't this body look familiar?"

Gibbs looks closely and then says, "This looks like our missing uncle."

After processing the scene the team all return back to the Navy Yard and Tony goes up to Abby's lab with the evidence from the scene. He is surprised to find that the lab is very quiet because normally there is music playing. I wonder why there is no music because I am sure that Gibbs would have called Abby to let her know to be here. It takes a few minutes before Tony looks around to find Abby asleep on her futon. He goes over to wake her up and says "Abby, did you go home last night?"

"What are you talking about Tony? How can anyone go home when we still have not found out who is responsible for the death of young Selena? I found something very interesting. The body of our victim had been swabbed down with alcohol to remove any traces of evidence. Whoever was responsible did not realize that alcohol can be a clue itself." Abby said.

"What do mean Abs?" Gibbs asked as he came into the lab.

Abby replies, "Each manufacturer has a specific formula for their version of isotopic alcohol. This particular brand was manufactured in Europe more specifically in Rome."

Gibbs looks at Tony and says, "I need to talk to Ducky." Turning on his heels he leaves the lab with a confused Tony and Abby in his wake.

After a few minutes, Tony turns to Abby and asks "Have you had a chance to look into what I asked about the other day?"

"Yes, I did and I checked every database for any Angelica Bowman and I was able to find seventy-six matches. I have narrowed them down into three groups those that are married, those that are single and those that are over the age of fifty. Where would you like for me to go from here?"

"Damn, is anything ever going to be simple? One other problem, how many people with the name of Angelica Bowman are there that were born with that name and are married with another last name?"

"Ok back to the drawing board then I will keep looking and try to figure out how many there are that were born with the name and are now married with a different name."

Later in the squad room, Gibbs says "Ducky will not have any information for us until the body thaws and he can perform an autopsy. In the mean time let's continue to see what information we can find about the parents because there has to be some sort of connection to them. McGee, check all credit card and cash expenditures for the past two months. Ziva, see if you can trace the movements of the parents in Rome. Tony, do an in depth history of the uncle and the father because there has to be something there that we have missed."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Author's Note: I want to take the time to thank everyone for all of the alerts that have been set for this story. I was not expecting such a strong interest in this story but I am very grateful for it. Thank you so much. So now on with the story. _

Early the next day, the team was gathered in the squad room each at their respective desks hard at work. Gibbs enters and says "Report."

McGee responds, "Strange things Boss, there is the purchase of an airline ticket from Rome to Washington at the time the father was supposed to be going to a meeting in Switzerland but there is no record of a ticket ever being issued to Switzerland."

Ziva chimes in, "The hotel in Rome says that Mrs. Brady had dinner in the dining room alone every evening during that time period."

"Boss, Many strange things are in the history of the two brothers it seems that they were both marines, both graduates of the Naval Academy and served in the same outfit as instructors. The incident at Camp Lejeune was solved using DNA. Both brothers were questioned and the older brother confessed to the crime." Tony reports.

"Ziva and Tony go and bring the parents in here but make sure that they are kept separate before they are questioned." Gibbs orders.

In the interrogation rooms later Gibbs enters to question the father. Ziva and Tony are in observation and for Tony at first glance it seems that this man is just too sure of himself. His daughter is dead and it seems as if he is in another world someplace else. How can he just sit there as if nothing ever happened? I can only imagine just how much that pisses Gibbs off knowing that he will never be able to forget his own little girl. Even though I have never had children it frustrates me to no end that Mr. Brady can sit there being so cold and indifferent about the loss of his daughter. Did he ever care about her or was she just a social status symbol of his wealth? In a way he reminds me of my own father who was always too busy to be bothered with me. If it did not lead to money then it was the last thing on Father's mind.

Gibbs slowly opens his folder and slowly asked "Why did you kill your daughter?"

The man answered in a startled manner, "What do you mean, I did nothing of the sort. You have me confused with my brother. I was in Switzerland at a meeting so there is no way that I could have killed her."

"It could not have been your brother because you killed him before you killed your daughter. What gives you away is that the autopsy report states that your brother had been dead from early afternoon and your daughter was murdered that evening. We also found traces of the alcohol that you used to try to clean the body after the murder took place which was bought at the hotel you stayed in Italy." Gibbs said.

The father begins to cry. "I didn't mean to kill Selena, that was an accident. I really did love her.

Loved her you have to be kidding me, this guy is nuts! Tony cannot stop his mind from screaming as he hears the father say how much he loved his daughter. How can you love a child but then kill her even if it was an accident? How is breaking a little girl's neck an accident because any person with half of a brain will know that is definitely not an accident. How many times had I seen Angelica with bruises like that after her mother hit her? I so need a drink.

"Ziva tell Gibbs that I went out for coffee." Tony said.

While leaving for the coffee Tony runs into Abby. Abby tells Tony that she has run the check that he asked her for and found seven possible matches and she hands him a list. Tony looks down the lists and notices that only one was from his hometown. Could this really be her I mean why would she have stayed there after everything that happened to her there? In fact her new address was his old home address as a child. It just has to be her but why would she want to live in my childhood house? Well there is only one way to get my questions answered I will just have to visit her but what if she does not want to see me I mean it has been almost twenty years since the last time we saw each other.

Tony says to Abby, "Thanks so much I owe you one for this. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Abby replies, "That will be one very large Caf-Pow please," and laughs.

The following Saturday Tony travels to his hometown for the first time in twenty years and is surprised to find that things have not changed much. He drives up to the old mansion and is surprised to see that it looks better than ever. There is fresh paint, the lawn is neat and trimmed and the shrubs are properly maintained. She must be very obsessive about her grounds he muses the grounds were never this immaculate even with all the gardeners that Dad kept around. Of course Dad was always too busy getting laid to worry about the appearance of the grounds. He sits in his car not really sure if he should even be here. He thinks about leaving but finds that he can't. He has to know if it is really her. Finally, he gathers his courage and goes to the door and rings the doorbell. She answers the door and for a second Tony finds it impossible to breathe much less speak. She is absolutely beautiful but her eyes are what take his breath away. They still have that angelic glow that they always had when we were together.

She says in her melodious voice, "Can I help you?" Tony just stands there staring at her as if to look away would mean that he is dreaming.

Not being able to stand it anymore she shouts, "Are you going to just stand there all day or are you coming inside Tony?"

Tony finally composes himself and says, "Angelica is it really you?"

Angelica, "You can't tell that it is? Seriously, I thought you had the memory of an elephant and can never forget anything. But what on earth are you doing here after all this time I mean you always hated this house and could not wait to leave it."

"What made you buy this place and why are you still here? I thought you had dreams of leaving here and never coming back.

"Not long after you left my mother died and left me quite a bit of money. Your father was going to sell the house and since it was the only place I remember with happiness I bought it. I could not bear the thought of someone else living here. All of my pleasant memories from childhood are here."

"What else happened to you after we got separated?"

"I lived here alone for about three years and then I met a wonderful man. At first he was like my grandfather but the more time I spent with him I realized that there was something more. For the first time in a long time someone finally understood me and could make me laugh. After a while we discovered that we loved each other but were just too afraid to admit it. He did not want to be looked at as a dirty old man and well I was too afraid to trust that anyone could ever love me. Why would anyone want to right? Wrong, he saw me as I am and allowed me to be that way. When he asked me to marry him I told him that we did not need a piece of paper that we are married without one in my heart. That did not stop him he asked a second time a few months later and I finally said yes. We got married about four years ago in Las Vegas, Nevada. We have both been laughing and happy ever since."

"I am so happy for you Angel. We had a case that ended badly for the abused child and it reminded me of you. I just had to find out what happened to you. Now both the case and my questions have been answered. I finally have peace for the first time in a long time. I hope that we can reconnect and maintain our friendship. I will completely understand if you would rather not."

"Tony, you worry too much, the past is gone and I only look forward to happiness in the future. You will definitely have to stay for dinner and meet my Thomas. It would be nice if you could spend the night and maybe we can spend some time together tomorrow catching up."

"I would like that." Tony says as he tries to hide the happiness in his heart. All is well that ends well.


End file.
